When Will Baby Formula Shortage End? Why There's a Shortage and When Formula Will Be on Shelves

The shortage isn't impacting all Americans equally, either.

 Why there’s still a formula shortage

The real reasons why America is having so much trouble feeding its babies — and how to make sure it never happens again.

When The Supply Chain Failed Parents, “Formula Influencers” Stepped Up

The influencers are using their platforms to connect parents who have extra formula or can purchase some with those who are running low.

The Baby Formula Crisis

Alyssa Rosenberg, a Washington Post columnist, argues that the formula shortage is part of this story. “Babies and their well-being have never been much of a priority in the United States,” Rosenberg wrote this week. “But an alarming shortage of infant formula — and the lack of a national mobilization to keep babies fed — provides a new measure of how deeply that indifference runs.”

'I don’t know how my son will survive': Inside the dangerous shortage of specialty formulas

The shutdown of a Michigan infant formula plant has disrupted the supply of products that are a lifeline for thousands of people with rare medical conditions.

Amid a Worsening Formula Shortage, Mothers Are Asked: ‘Why Not Breastfeed?

The current crisis has exacerbated an already emotionally charged health care issue in the U.S.

Baby Formula Industry Lobbied to Weaken Safety Standards

The shortage has other contributing factors. The U.S. maintains strict limits on imports of European brands of infant formula, despite studies showing that products under European Union regulations have high safety and nutrition standards. Competing brands in the U.S. have attempted to ramp up production to make up for the loss of Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis factory but have encountered supply chain problems.

Baby Formula Shortage Could Leave Parents Scrambling for Months

Baby-formula manufacturers and retailers say they are working to address a long-running shortage in products on store shelves, but the hardships facing U.S. families may take months to abate.

Baby formula shortage highlights inequality in US maternal support

Fewer mothers of color and low-income mothers breastfeed their babies. Better support and family leave polices would help.

Baby Formula Shortages Have You Scrambling? Here’s What to Do

Finding the perfect baby formula for your little one can be challenging even under the best of circumstances. But the ongoing Abbott formula recall coupled with the pre-existing pandemic infant formula shortages have made things even more difficult than usual.

The baby formula shortage highlights the delicate nature of food supply chains

The formula shortage stems from ongoing pandemic-related supply chain snags. Manufacturers are facing difficulty in procuring key ingredients, such as cow’s milk, as well as shortages in packaging and labor.

The Baby Formula Shortage Is Getting Worse—Here’s How To Navigate It Safely, According To Pediatricians

If your baby isn’t using specialized formula, Dr. Abrams says it’s absolutely okay to switch brands. “There are many variations of infant formulas for colic, gas, neurological development and so forth,” adds Peggy Chapman, M.D., a pediatrician with One Medical in New York City. “In the larger scheme, these are minor differences so try not to get lost in the weeds and focus on feeding your baby.”

The Baby-Formula Shortage Keeps Getting Worse

In addition to stores like CVS and Walgreens limiting formula purchases, the Times reports that private online sellers have been gouging prices.

The nationwide shortage of baby formula is a major stressor for parents

"It is a real crisis and, in many cases, potentially life-threatening," Dr. Benjamin Gold, a pediatric gastroenterologist in Atlanta, said of the shortage in an interview with NPR.

What are safe substitutes for baby formula? Amid worsening shortage, avoid homemade recipes

If you're searching for a safe substitute for your regular baby formula, switching formula brands or turning to breastmilk donation banks may be among the best options. But you should never dilute formula or try a homemade recipe, experts warn.

What’s Behind America’s Shocking Baby-Formula Shortage?

Bacteria, a virus, a trade policy—and a lesson

What’s behind the US infant formula shortage – and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again

Not surprisingly, the most affected parents are those on the lowest income. The federal food program for poorer women, infants and children, called WIC, provides formula for a majority of babies in low-income families. But costs have gone up and formula has become scarcer.

Why baby formula is in short supply — and who is most at risk

America is enduring its worst baby formula shortage in decades.

Why Doctors Don’t Recommend Homemade Baby Formula

Amid a nationwide formula shortage, some parents are D.I.Y.-ing recipes. But pediatricians strongly advise against it.

Why It's So Hard to Find Baby Formula in the U.S. Right Now

In the past few months a number of factors have piled pressure on national and global supply chains. These include staff shortages due to COVID-19, increased demand for many products and services following the easing of lockdown restrictions, the war in Ukraine and related international sanctions, and shortages of some commodities.

With the baby formula shortage, what should I do if I can't find any?

Is it OK to put more water in baby formula? No. While it may be tempting to water down formula to stretch it out, it is not safe to do that.

You Shouldn’t Need a Doctor’s Note to Switch Formula Brands

When you look at the bigger picture, this crisis really starts to seem like a slow-motion train wreck that could have been prevented if the well-being of infants had been at the forefront of a number of policy decisions.